Ocean Knight to Tampa Bay Derby

After being considered probable for Saturday's Gotham (G3) at Aqueduct,

Stonestreet Stable's Ocean Knight (Curlin) has been confirmed for Saturday's

$350,000 Tampa Bay Derby (G2).

Ocean Knight improved to two for two in his brief career when capturing the

January 31 Sam F. Davis (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs and trainer Kiaran McLaughlin

said at the time that he would return for the Tampa Bay Derby. But those plans

changed after trainer Todd Pletcher announced on February 8 that Carpe Diem

(Giant's Causeway), who is co-owned by Stonestreet, would make his 2015 debut in

the Tampa Bay Derby.

"(Stonestreet owner Barbara Banke) called this morning and we talked between

her team and she said after talking about, it she preferred to stay in Florida

and run in Tampa," McLaughlin told the Lexington, Kentucky Herald-Leader

on Tuesday. "We're happy. We were happy to go to New York, we were happy to run

in either place. But Tampa is a little different track and he did win there.

"And it's a little easier going on a 3 1/2 hour van ride (from the

colt's South Florida base at Palm Meadows) than to New York. So

Barbara made the decision."